A "potential hijacking" of vessel underway off the United Arab Emirates

Should this be linked to the attack on an oil tanker off Oman last Thursday?

On Tuesday, the UKMTO Maritime Safety Agency warned of a “potential hijacking” of a vessel underway off the United Arab Emirates, about 60 nautical miles from the city of Fujairah.

UKMTO, which is part of the British Navy, has advised ships passing through the area to exercise "extreme caution".

The event therefore comes five days after the attack on an oil tanker off Oman which left two dead, and the day after the vessel arrived in the Fujairah offshore anchorage area, one of the seven emirates of the federation of the Emirates, a neighboring Gulf country of Oman.

Accused by the international community, the Iranian authorities have denied any involvement in this attack.

The offensive, which has not been claimed, claimed the lives of a Briton employed by the security company Ambrey, and a Romanian crew member, according to the shipowner Zodiac Maritime.

Iran already accused of several attacks on ships

On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised a "collective response" against Iran, accused of "continuing to act in a terribly irresponsible manner".

Iran warned him on Monday that it would retaliate against any "adventurism" after threats of retaliation from Israel and the United States.

The Gulf has seen in recent years several attacks on ships attributed to the Islamic Republic of Iran, regularly accused of threatening the freedom of navigation.

Countries bordering the Gulf, the Emirates and Iran maintain diplomatic relations but traditionally find themselves on opposing sides regarding regional issues, notably relations with Israel, with which the Emirates have normalized ties in 2020.